Drowning
by Vaughn 247
Summary: Post ATY --> Season 2 episodes. Vaughn is alive, and back from Spain. But...
1. Drowning

It had been a month already. Ever since that day, she had sworn away water. No longer did she think taking showers were relaxing, instead, it became some sort of torture for her. The look on Vaughn's face as he smashed into the door, the huge wave crashing over him.  
  
It was summer. Francie had thought it strange of her sudden dislike of swimming and the beach. She thought it was the time of the month, but that time passed, and nothing changed in her attitude.  
  
The second to hardest part of this whole ordeal was that she couldn't let her feelings out. He, the only man and person in the world that she could confide in, was gone. She couldn't bring herself to say the word "dead." She had to go to work every day, pretending as if everything was normal. And the CIA. Her new handler was a man named Peter Lee. He was nice and all, but he wasn't Vaughn. Weiss had kindly declined the offer to "handle" her, because he knew that he would be a constant reminder. As if one more would make a difference. Every time she went grocery shopping, the Slush-O's would catch her eye. And picture frames. Antiques. Every sun- bleached dirty blonde guy. Every man in a suit. Anyone carrying a suitcase. Leather trench coats. Pizza stores. Even Red Cross vans.  
  
The hardest part was that he would never come back. No one to talk to about her job, her mom, her father, she couldn't tell the truth to anyone.  
  
"Syd! Will and I are going to the beach. You sure you don't want to come?" Francie asked, sticking her head into Sydney's room.  
  
"Yeah, you two go on ahead," Sydney managed a smile.  
  
"Well, OK then. We'll see you later," Francie replied.  
  
After they left, Sydney lay on her bed, rethinking the events that had changed her life so drastically. First, her mother. Vaughn was surprisingly understanding when dismiss the whole thing, claiming that her mother's actions had no bearing on her. When he showed Sydney the photocopied page of his father's file, she felt like she was going to start crying. Not just because she found out her mother killed another innocent, but because it had affected Vaughn in so many ways possible. Not growing up with a mother was bad for Sydney, but not having a father figure in your life was even worse. There was no one to take you to baseball games, or in Vaughn's case, hockey games. There was no one cheering for him in the bleachers because his mother needed to work to earn enough money to pass by. Next was Will. The kiss, and the other kiss.and him seeing her with the pink hair in Taipei. And Will being kidnapped by Sark. Beat up, and teeth pulled. Bloody and weak. At least now he moved on. No more stories or investigations of SD-6. No nothing. Just articles about non-politics. He had no idea about Vaughn. No idea about Noah. No idea about her CIA affiliations. But he said he loved her for her, not what she did for a living. But love wasn't what she wanted from him. At least not the kind of love he was talking about. She wanted that kind of love from Vaughn, and she had that kind of love to give back to him. If only she could see him one more time, she would confess these feelings to him. But saying that was useless now. No more second chances. Vaughn drowning.being hit by that giant Titanic-sized wave. That was even more horrifying than seeing people being killed by SD-6. Worse than the realization that her mother was "The Man." It was a feeling worse than anything she had ever felt. When their eyes locked, they both knew he wasn't going to make it. After the horrible image of Vaughn's face being plastered to the window, nothing else was going to make her cry. Maybe just the bubble she saw through the window.without Vaughn.  
  
Surprisingly however, after being captured by her mother, Sydney was let go. But she didn't want to leave. Not because she wanted to see her mother longer, but because she knew Vaughn's body was somewhere in the building. Somewhere.  
  
--  
  
So many surprises these days, Sydney thought. The CIA had granted to permission to attend Vaughn's funeral. There was nothing in the casket. No body had been found. Of course, even if the CIA hadn't granted her permission, she would have found a way to attend anyway.  
  
Originally, Devlin was furious that she, Jack, and Vaughn had attempted this mission without it being authorized, but after learning what happened to Vaughn, and who "The Man" was, he relented. No use adding salt to the wound, he concluded. Sydney was emotionless about his decision. No appreciation towards Devlin was felt. If punishment was allotted, she would not have cared.  
  
"Syd? What's wrong?" Will's voice asked from the doorway.  
  
"What do you mean?" Sydney asked, keeping her voice steady. Training at SD-6 had done her well.  
  
"Well, you're staring out the window for one thing. It's three in the afternoon. You should be out."  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
"I don't know. Is something wrong at work?"  
  
"No, everything's the same. I have another trip on Monday."  
  
"Where's Sloane making you go this time?" Will asked, bitterness falling from his words.  
  
"Spain."  
  
--  
  
Sydney stood by the tree, staring down at the mahogany casket. The raindrops pelted against the shiny wood surface, and dripped to the grass. Everyone was under black umbrellas, while the only thing shielding Sydney from the harsh rain was the tree, and that wasn't working. She was covered in black clothing. Clothes Vaughn had never seen before. Different from the ones she wore to Danny's funeral. For some reason, she had deliberated over what to wear to Vaughn's funeral more than she did Danny's. She wanted to look her best but in a conservative way, because it would be the last time anyone mentioned Vaughn in front of her. Of that, she was certain. Devlin wouldn't want to risk an emotional breakdown, and her father had never really liked Vaughn anyway. Maybe he respected him, but not fully.  
  
The rain and her tears mixed together on her face, and her eyes felt sore from crying. From where she was standing, she could faintly hear Devlin speaking about him. The priest was finished reading from his Bible, and was standing to the side.  
  
"Michael Vaughn was and still is a patriot of this country. He risked his life to destroy our enemies."  
  
Sydney let her gaze shift. A row of CIA agents was standing in the back, paying their respects. Their heads were bent, and she could see Weiss in there.  
  
A blonde caught her eye. She was wearing a fashionable black dress, with a veil over her head, one of those meshy types, like the ones wives would wear to their husbands' funeral. Alice. The blonde from the picture in his office. She looked miserable, like a drowned rat. That's probably how I look, Sydney said to herself, studying the woman. Next to Alice was Vaughn's mother. He had her face shape and nose. She was clutching at Alice, sobs erupting from her throat. Devlin looked at her for a second, and sympathy, pity, and compassion was shown all over his face. To go through two deaths in the family was horrible.  
  
Devlin was now concluding his speech. "Would anyone want to say something about Michael?"  
  
Mrs. Vaughn walked up, helped by Alice. "My son," she started as Devlin backed away. "My son.was the best one a mother could ever hope for. Although sometimes he didn't listen to me, he was."  
  
More tears fell down Sydney's face as she watched Mrs. Vaughn search for the right words.  
  
"He was, perfect."  
  
Mrs. Vaughn began sobbing openly now. Alice took her hand and looked up.  
  
"Michael was the best friend in the world, and I would do anything to get him back," Alice looked down sorrowfully.  
  
Weiss stepped forward. "I want to say something. The last time Mike and I spoke, was when we had an argument. Over some.personal matters at the office," he started, looking towards Sydney. "I can't stand not knowing if he forgave me or not, but if I could turn back time, I would erase it all. His office was always so inviting. I could go there to relax or to hide from other agents. He was always willing to listen, and if he were here right now, he would want me to say that he loves you."  
  
Sydney froze at that comment. She knew deep inside that Weiss was directing it at her, but without looking at her fully.  
  
" I remember one time, just last month, we were talking about what we wanted our loved ones to know, in case we died. It was a morbid subject, but it came with the job. I'm not going to leave anyone out just because it might seem inappropriate, and against protocol. These would have been his last words, and I believe they have the right to be said in front of all of you. Mrs. Vaughn, he wanted you to know that he'll always be there for you, in your heart. And that he loves you. Mr. Devlin, Mike would have said that he was sorry he didn't get to finish his assignment," Weiss said with a light smile. "Alice, Mike wanted you to know that you were a great friend, and love always comes in the territory of friendship."  
  
As Weiss droned on, Sydney once again focused on the casket. The rain was coming down harder now, and she could see the tiny raindrops bounce up and down. She remembered their hug, their conversation at the pier, at the train station when he spoke about his dad.  
  
"And to Sydney," Weiss said suddenly, a little louder than before. Sydney looked up, surprised that he spoke her name. "He wanted you to go on with life. Have fun and don't lose yourself in your job. Keep eating pizza, and he didn't tell me this, but I could tell. He loves you."  
  
Mrs. Vaughn looked around frantically, looking for this Sydney that had captured her son's love, but didn't see anyone. Alice was looking also, a look of jealousness on her face.  
  
But Sydney almost laughed out loud. Only Vaughn would put a joke into his last words. Keep eating pizza.I swear to God, I will eat pizza all the time if it makes him happy.  
  
Then she started crying again. She didn't care if SD-6 was watching her right now. None of it would matter. Just that Vaughn loved her. 


	2. The Meeting

Hello! I forgot to write stuff up here last time. Oops. Lol.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone in here…but I wish I did! (Vaughn…ah…). Oh wait…there might be one or two made up characters in the upcoming chapters, but I don't know their names yet.  
  
Archive: Anywhere? Just tell me.  
  
Other: Thanks for reviewing! P.S. Natalie, you're not hallucinating! Lol.  
  
AN: there's a little thing in here about "being blonde," but don't take it seriously! It's just something I had to put in here…  
  
- another thing: this chapter sucks. I know it does. It's just that I didn't have the time to get in touch with my writing side…lol.  
  
2/?  
  
--  
  
"What the hell was Agent Weiss thinking?" Jack nearly shouted at Sydney.  
  
"I don't know!" Sydney protested. She had thought the same thing. Why hadn't he told her privately…at first, she hadn't thought about the consequences of his actions, but now after a few days of pondering and thinking, she finally realized the extent of his actions.  
  
"With Mrs. Vaughn there. And all Vaughn's friends. Devlin too!"  
  
"Don't you think I know that? I was there."  
  
"Really? I don't think you do."  
  
"Dad…just…go. The past month has been nothing but hell for me, all right? Don't make me add your name to the list."  
  
"Sydney…there are rules."  
  
"Protocol. I know. I'm not stupid, although you may think otherwise. You know what was the hardest part at his…funeral? Yes, knowing that he wouldn't be coming back, but also that I couldn't go up there and talk about him. I wasn't allowed to go up there and tell everyone how much I…he meant to me. Hell, most of them probably didn't even know who I was."  
  
"You're right about that. Mrs. Vaughn had called Devlin the night of the funeral to ask who you were. She figured that you two worked together, because Vaughn didn't have much of a social life outside of the job…Weiss got a call from Alice."  
  
"And?" Sydney responded, trying to put on a look of indifference. What does that have to do with me?  
  
--  
  
"OK Syd, what's wrong?" Will asked that evening, cornering her into the kitchen.  
  
Good thing there were two exits to the kitchen, Sydney thought. But from the look on Will's face, he wasn't about to drop the subject.  
  
She sighed, stalling.  
  
"C'mon Syd, I already know about your job. You can trust me."  
  
Trust has nothing to do with it, trust me, Sydney thought.  
  
"It's nothing."  
  
"I may be blonde, but I'm a reporter. I know something's up," Will replied, looking at her through his glasses.  
  
"It's nothing Will."  
  
"Hey guys!" Francie's enthusiastic voice called out. The jangling of keys was heard, followed by footsteps.  
  
"Hey Fran," Sydney grinned, breathing a barely audible sigh of relief.  
  
"Yeah. Hey," Will responded glumly.  
  
"Did I interrupt something?" Francie asked, her gaze darting between Sydney and Will.  
  
"No."  
  
"No…" Will echoed reluctantly.  
  
"Well, all right then. I found a place for my restaurant!" Francie grinned happily, her cheeks pink with excitement.  
  
"Where? When?"  
  
"Near the pier. That old restaurant Fettucino's is closing."  
  
The pier…Vaughn…  
  
"Fran, that's great," Sydney replied, trying to put some oomph in her words. She thought her words sounded weak, but Francie didn't notice. She was too excited.  
  
"Will, can you write an article about it after it opens up?"  
  
"Sure. I'll be your first customer."  
  
"I'm gonna go out for a while."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Nowhere…I don't know. I'm just going jogging," Sydney responded, already halfway out the door.  
  
--  
  
After jogging for thirty minutes, Sydney found herself in the cemetery, standing right in front of Vaughn's grave. She stared at it for a long time. MICHAEL C. VAUGHN: BELOVED SON AND FRIEND.  
  
Then she remembered his mother's speech. "My son…was the best one a mother could ever hope for. Although sometimes he didn't listen to me, he was…he was perfect."  
  
In her head, she was screaming, "Stop using past tenses! He's coming back. He has to come back…" What started as a strong thought ended up sounding desperate.  
  
She knelt down by the flowers in front of the gray stone and stayed there for a while, thinking about her guardian angel. He should have ran faster. Yeah, good one Syd, blame him. You were the one that got him into this mess in the first place, remember?  
  
The crunching of leaves behind her startled Sydney out of her thoughts. She turned slowly, and her eyes widened as she saw a shock of blonde hair.  
  
Alice.  
  
Sydney stared for only a few seconds, then turned back to the grave. She was caught.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"Sydney," Sydney replied, watching for the flicker of recognition. It finally came. Alice's nose was turned up a little higher than before, and her cheeks were pinker.  
  
"So, you're Sydney."  
  
"You're Alice."  
  
"How'd you know? Oh, did Michael tell you all about me?"  
  
"No…I figured it out."  
  
Alice threw Sydney a defiant glare. "Well, what are you doing here?"  
  
"What does it look like?"  
  
"Who were you to Michael?" Alice asked suddenly.  
  
"You mean who am I to him," Sydney corrected, not trying to be mean, but she just couldn't take the past tenses anymore.  
  
Alice's glare turned more deadly.  
  
"I'm his friend."  
  
"His pizza-loving friend?" Alice snickered.  
  
"Do you want to talk somewhere else? Because I don't think this is such a great idea," Sydney responded, standing up. She was almost five inches taller than Alice. And for some reason, Sydney thanked God for those extra inches.  
  
"I don't see why we can't talk here," Alice responded stubbornly.  
  
Sydney sighed. She was not having a good day…with blondes. "Look Alice, I know you cared for Va…Michael, but he still deserves to be respected. Even after…"  
  
"Oh, all right," Alice grunted, twirling a strand of long blonde hair on her finger. "I know a place to go."  
  
--  
  
"Is this your house?" Sydney asked, as Alice turned onto a lawn. Lots of colorful flowers were dying, turning brown and dry.  
  
"No," Alice replied as she walked in the house. Sydney followed. "It's Delorme's. Mrs. Vaughn's house."  
  
"Oh…"  
  
"She wanted to know who Sydney was. So I guess the best way was to bring you here. She doesn't know you're here though. Hell, I didn't even know you were going to be there. I guess it's a coincidence."  
  
"Alice?" a surprisingly strong voice called from the next room.  
  
"Coming," Alice responded, grabbing a glass of water on the way.  
  
"Hi Mrs. Vaughn. How are you doing today?" Alice asked slowly, as if she were talking to a first grader.  
  
"Who is this?"  
  
"I'm Sydney…Bristow," Sydney replied, looking at the woman in front of her. Her dark brown hair had not started to gray yet, and she only looked like she was in her forties. But when Sydney did the mathematics in her head, she was surprised to learn that Mrs. Vaughn was probably well into her sixties.  
  
Mrs. Vaughn nodded. "Alice, would you mind going to the store for me? I just need a few things."  
  
"Sure," Alice replied cheerfully, albeit unwillingly.  
  
"Here's my list. I'll pay you back later."  
  
--  
  
"Thank God, that girl is gone," Mrs. Vaughn said as soon as Alice left. "She's always been so fake. I don't know what Michael ever saw in her."  
  
"So…uh, how are you?"  
  
"Not that good. But I can see you're doing the same. Or even worse."  
  
"How can you tell?"  
  
"Girl, I may be old, but I'm not blind," Mrs. Vaughn smiled a little. "So, Michael loved you?"  
  
"Present tense," Sydney blurted.  
  
"What? Oh…and you love him, am I right?"  
  
Sydney managed to nod.  
  
"Did you two work together in the CIA?"  
  
"It's a long story. He's my handler."  
  
"Come upstairs," Mrs. Vaughn said suddenly, heading for the stairs.  
  
Mrs. Vaughn brought Sydney into an empty room.  
  
"This is his room. I never brought anyone in here before, but then again, Michael never did say he loved anyone. And Alice was just an interruption. What she and Michael had was nothing more than a couple of dates here and there, although Alice seems to think differently."  
  
Sydney didn't know what to say.  
  
"Well, the main reason I brought you here, was to give you something. I remember a couple of weeks ago, he was talking about some woman he was working with, and how she was so different from any other woman he had met. I put two and two together, and that woman is standing right in front of me right now." 


	3. The Box

Author's Note:  
  
Just to clarify, Sydney didn't know Alice was going to take her to Mrs. Vaughn's house. :)  
  
Michael Vartan is about 6 ft, isn't he? Cuz I think my "size 13" shoe is a little big…but my friend is a little bit taller than 6 ft, and he wears size 14…so that works, right? oh well. It's fiction.  
  
Sydney returned home that night, exhausted from pouring her heart out to Mrs. Vaughn. Delorme…as she insisted Sydney to call her. Delorme had listened carefully, and in turn, she told Sydney of Vaughn's childhood, and all the good memories that came along with it. During that time, Alice had returned with the groceries, and Delorme had insisted her go home.  
  
"Sydney! Where were you? We were about to send out a search team!" Francie exclaimed, bombarding Sydney with words as soon as Sydney walked through the door.  
  
"Will was freaked. I sent him home though, but he said to tell you to call him when you got back," Francie said.  
  
"Sorry Fran…I got caught up."  
  
"For five hours?"  
  
"I saw an old friend," Sydney replied, surprised that they were talking for five hours straight.  
  
"Anyone I know?"  
  
"Nope. I'm going to bed now, good night Fran," Sydney said suddenly.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"What? Oh…just something she gave me."  
  
"All right then…good night Syd," Francie replied, but the look on her face said, "This conversation's not over."  
  
--  
  
Sydney placed the shoebox down softly on her bed, and changed into her pajamas. Then she returned to her bed, and studied the box carefully before opening it. The box was labeled "NIKE – Size 13." She didn't know if it was once Mr. Vaughn's, or Vaughn's.  
  
Sydney lifted the cover off lightly, and set it on her pillow. She peered down into the box, and didn't know what to do: to cry, or to smile. So she did both. She lifted up the picture, and stared at it for a while, with a lone tear running down her cheek, and a light smile creeping into her face.  
  
Vaughn as a little kid, hair hanging straight down. He was hanging upside-down on the jungle gym from his knees, his shirt hem grazing his chin. Vaughn looked so happy. Vaughn…no, that sounds too old for a little kid. Michael…Michael looked so happy. But somehow, the name "Michael" came out too awkwardly. Vaughn it was. He had a little cute smile on his face that just seemed to make everything appear brighter.  
  
Sydney figured that at this pace, she would never get through everything in the shoebox. So she placed the picture down carefully next to her, and picked up the next photo. It went on for hours. There weren't that many pictures, but Sydney always scrutinized each one, as if to memorize Vaughn's facial expressions. To hell with never getting through everything, she thought.  
  
--  
  
Most pictures featured Vaughn with a smile, but a few captured Sydney's attention. A picture of a small Vaughn, eyes and nose wet and watery, looking dejected and desolate. In the background, she could see slabs of gray stone, and concluded that the picture was taken at his father's funeral. Sydney had heard about Vaughn's father through Vaughn, but he had never expressed any emotion about it. Sure, he said it was a hard time, but that he didn't understand anything that was happening. Now, with this picture, Sydney had tangible evidence that his father's death had affected Vaughn, even as a little kid.  
  
Another picture was of Vaughn and Alice. The one that had once occupied a space on his desk. Vaughn looked so happy in the picture, his arm around Alice…their happy smiles. Was this picture in here for a reason? Sydney asked herself. Did Delorme go through these and forget to take this out? Or maybe she never planned on giving these away. Hell, I know I would never give these to some stranger, Sydney thought. Scratch that…I would never give these to anyone.  
  
A knock on her door startled her. She hurried to put the pictures back in the box, all the while wiping her tears.  
  
"Who is it?" she called out, just as the knob turned.  
  
"Syd? It's me, Will," he replied, walking into her room.  
  
Sydney closed the box hastily, and slid it under her pillow, and sat in front of it.  
  
"Hey," she responded, acting as if nothing was wrong.  
  
"What's up?" Will asked, looking around her room, as if he was looking for something.  
  
"Nothing," Sydney replied, feeling awkward.  
  
"What's this?" Will questioned, holding up a picture he had found wedged between the pillows.  
  
"Hm?" Sydney responded, looking at the picture. It was the picture of Vaughn and Alice. "Oh, it's just for this project I have to do."  
  
"Really? What's it about?"  
  
"Something about…models," she replied quickly, spitting out the first thing that came to mind.  
  
"Models. Interesting."  
  
Sydney took the picture and placed it on her nightstand, away from Will.  
  
"So, what's up?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Will asked, feigning innocence.  
  
"You just left, and now you're back. Something's up."  
  
"I came to…see if you were all right."  
  
"Why wouldn't I be?"  
  
"Syd, you were gone for almost five hours. Tell me what's normal about that," he crossed his arms across his chest.  
  
"I met an old friend," Sydney responded.  
  
"Are you sure nothing else is wrong? You can tell me, you know that don't you?"  
  
"Yes Will. I know," she replied patiently. Changing the subject, she said, "Did you ever go get those teeth checked out?"  
  
"Yeah, last week," Will responded, giving Sydney a strange look.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You mean you never noticed that huge ice pack I had to lug around on my face?"  
  
Sydney let out an almost inaudible sound. "Well, I guess you're fine."  
  
The strange look was still there.  
  
-  
  
Please review! Good or bad, I don't care…just do it! Lol. Thanks!! 


	4. Joey's Pizza?

AN: Yeah, I'm starting to write in other ppl's perspectives…at least, I'm trying to. Well, have fun!  
  
4/?  
  
--  
  
"Joey's Pizza?"  
  
"…wrong number…"  
  
--  
  
Sydney strode into the warehouse with long strong strides, not once teetering on her heels. She faced the man in front of her, and stared him straight in the eyes.  
  
"We need another code name. No more Joey's Pizza."  
  
Her new handler, Agent Lee, looked startled.  
  
"You never had a problem with it before," he defended himself.  
  
"That was before," With Agent Vaughn, she thought. "This is now."  
  
"All right. Fine. I'll run it with Devlin and see what he says."  
  
"No. You change it with or without his approval. Is it really so hard to think of a code name? Frank's Bar…Melissa's Nursery, Brian's Pub, John's Appliances, Mike's Bookstore…" Vaughn's Dead…Sydney screamed inside her head.  
  
Agent Lee looked unsettled at Sydney's wild eyes. They were horrifying…desperate.  
  
There was silence. Then he broke it.  
  
"Sloane wants you to break into the K-Directorate hospital and steal Strain X, right?"  
  
"If you know, don't ask."  
  
"…We want you to exchange this," Agent Lee said, holding up a vial in a plastic bag, "with the real thing. You'll give the real vial to me the night you get back. Any questions?"  
  
"No."  
  
--  
  
"Hey Dad," Sydney greeted, not looking at him. Instead, she stared out towards the ocean.  
  
"Hi. How's Francie's restaurant going?" Jack Bristow asked, motioning towards the restaurant.  
  
"It's coming. Everything's in place, and she's just waiting till Tuesday to open up."  
  
"That's good."  
  
Awkward silence plagued their ears.  
  
"So, uh…how are you?"  
  
"I've been better, thanks," Sydney responded, watching the waves pound against the metal railings.  
  
"Look Sydney…you'll get over it."  
  
"No Dad, I don't think I'll "get over it." Ever," Sydney said quietly, bringing her eyes up to stare defiantly at her father.  
  
--  
  
"Do you think it's right?"  
  
"Do I think what's right Jack?" Devlin responded, not looking up from his computer.  
  
"You know what I'm talking about," Jack replied in his no-nonsense voice.  
  
Devlin sighed. He tore his eyes away from the screen to look at Jack. "Of course it's not right. But we're doing it for a reason. We have to."  
  
"We have to keep letting Sydney, my daughter, believe that Agent Vaughn is dead?"  
  
"Look Jack. I think of Agent Vaughn as my own son. He sure acts like I did when I was his age," Devlin grinned. Then he turned serious. "Jack…I know it's hard on Sydney, but it's for the good of the Agency."  
  
"But not for the good of Sydney."  
  
--  
  
I know this is the shortest chapter, but there's nothing left to say…I can't think of any more. And the next chapter doesn't belong in here…so bye! 


	5. Vaughn

AN: This one's all Vaughn! (it might be confusing, b/c it goes back to the end to ATY…)  
  
I seriously have no idea where this story is going…I'm making it up as I go along. Yeah, no planning ahead. Oh well. :)  
  
Oh, and this one's really choppy. It's…stupid, although the subject isn't! lol  
  
5/?  
  
--  
  
Vaughn sat at his desk in the American Embassy in Spain. He stared at the sky-high stack of paperwork on his desk, nearly covering everything.  
  
"Michael! We're heading out for lunch. You coming?" Vaughn's partner, Erin Duval asked, stopping at his desk.  
  
"No…I've got work to do."  
  
"Don't we all," she sighed. "But don't let that ruin your fun. You have to go out and enjoy the sun."  
  
"Maybe later."  
  
Erin sighed again, but in a playful way, and left.  
  
She reminded him of Sydney. In a strange way. Erin was what you would call cute. She was short…shorter than Sydney by inches, bubbly, blonde and blue-eyed. That part resembled Alice. But Erin was also extremely quick at her feet and hands, and would have you tied and gagged within seconds. Needless to say, she came in handy during missions. What kind of missions would an American Embassy be involved in? That was the first question Vaughn had asked since he arrived, one lone suitcase in hand. Plenty, was his answer. He was still a CIA agent, just one who was relocated to Spain. So he still enjoyed the perks of missions. No one here called him Vaughn though. That name was solely reserved for Sydney.  
  
And the missions. Vaughn was currently undergoing training as a field agent. He spent the afternoons in the gym with an instructor, learning the basics.  
  
If Erin ever came in contact with Sydney in that fighting type way…they both would be up for a challenge.  
  
But that would never happen. He himself would never get the chance to come in contact with Sydney either. He'd give anything to be able to see her again. Even if he was who she was fighting. It wouldn't matter. Just to see that face…stop it Vaughn! Just stop it.  
  
Every night, before he fell asleep, two things would plague his mind. Sydney. And their last encounter. Both, he remembered too well.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
- FLASHBACK -  
  
Vaughn stopped running as he saw the lights blink and flicker. Then came the deafening roar. Sydney appeared from the left hallway, running at top speed, her cyan colored hair framing her face. She waved her arms at him, but he didn't budge. His gaze was transfixed on the liquid behind her. Sydney's face showed desperation as her hands gave him a little shove. That did it. He snapped out of his trance and ran after her, his leather trench coat flapping around him.  
  
Oh God, please let her make it, he thought. That was his only conscious thought as he watched her slip through the opening. She had made it. But he was too late. Her fingers had slipped from the door, and the thick door had slid shut with a deafening bang.  
  
He was unable to stop the momentum he had built up with his running, so he put out his hands to the door. It worked. He stood stock-still, after slamming into the door, his gaze fixed on Sydney's, as he realized what had happened. He watched as Sydney proceeded to break the square window using the red fire hydrant. Red…that's funny. He had always thought that he would die bleeding to death, lying in some stranded place…but no. He was about to die drowning, with Sydney's face as the last thing he saw. But that face mirrored desperation and fear. He would have liked it to be peaceful and happy…but he couldn't be picky. Not now.  
  
He motioned crazily for her to go. She can't be caught just because of me…she can't. But Sydney, being herself, refused to oblige. She continued with a fervent attitude, banging on the glass. It wasn't working. Nothing was happening. No dents in the glass…However, it was surprisingly peaceful.  
  
He couldn't stop it. He inhaled a large quantity of the liquid, and moments later, his vision began to blur. It reminded him of thousand of tiny ants crawling into his line of vision…crawling faster and faster…  
  
The next thing he knew, he was lying on the backseat of a van, sprawled all over the seat. He heard the sound of rough coughing, and was surprised to find out that it was coming from himself.  
  
"Vaughn?" Jack's deep voice asked, hovering over him from the driver's seat.  
  
"Who's Vaughn?" a drowsy voice questioned from the passenger side.  
  
"Hm…" Vaughn said.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
If he were not so out of it, Vaughn would have been shocked to hear Jack Bristow's concern. After all, he seldom showed it. No…he never showed it.  
  
Vaughn's throat was too parched. His lips formed words, but no sounds came out. All he could do was nod.  
  
Jack sighed. "You're just like Sydney."  
  
Next to the whole "respect" thing, that was the closest thing he had ever gotten as a compliment from Jack Bristow.  
  
"Sydney?" the not so drowsy voice asked now.  
  
"Where is she?" Jack asked.  
  
Vaughn cleared his throat. Or rather, he tried to. It felt like sandpaper.  
  
Jack grabbed the Thermo he had in the cup holder, and handed it to Vaughn, opened.  
  
Vaughn nodded his gratitude, and swallowed the liquid.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"What?" Jack had to strain to hear the barely existent voice.  
  
"I don't know where she is," Vaughn started. He coughed. "Last time I saw her, she was banging on the window."  
  
The cold Jack Bristow returned.  
  
"I motioned for her to go, but…"  
  
"She didn't listen," Jack sighed.  
  
"Who're you talking about? Sydney?"  
  
Jack looked impatiently at the passenger. "Mr. Tippin, be quiet."  
  
Will…Vaughn thought. The reporter. Sydney's friend…  
  
"What's wrong with Sydney?"  
  
Jack ignored him this time. "We have to get you on a plane back to LA immediately."  
  
"I'm going to put you two on the next plane out of Taipei."  
  
Vaughn protested. "I'm not leaving."  
  
"You have to."  
  
--  
  
An hour later, Vaughn found himself on a private jet back to LA…with Will. Will's face was still bloodied, and it caused Vaughn's stomach to churn. Normally, he wouldn't be fazed by the blood, but for some reason, he was now. Will was studying Vaughn silently, pretending to look past him whenever Vaughn glanced back.  
  
Vaughn dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a wet handkerchief. But it was still usable, Vaughn argued with himself. He handed it to Will, and Will took it.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
Will nodded, pressing the handkerchief to his cheek. Vaughn could see the blood soaking through the cloth.  
  
"Who're you?" Will asked, holding the reddened handkerchief in the air.  
  
"Michael."  
  
"Michael. That's it?"  
  
"Vaughn."  
  
"Michael Vaughn," Will repeated. "How do you know Sydney?"  
  
"We work together," Vaughn responded, not liking this conversation one bit. He felt like he was being interrogated.  
  
"CIA?"  
  
Vaughn hesitated. Sydney told Will. Right. Vaughn remembered Sydney telling him about it. "Right."  
  
--  
  
Vaughn walked into his apartment and slammed the door behind him. The first thing he did after they landed in LA was put Will in the Witness Protection Program. Will had been a very difficult person to work with, and Vaughn was glad it was over. But he received a call from Devlin, informing him about his new job. He was no longer Sydney's handler. They had given that job to another senior officer, one who obeyed the rules…and one who was already emotionally attached to another. The emotionally attached part, Devlin didn't say, but Vaughn could tell that was what he meant. He was not allowed to return to the office in LA.  
  
Great, Vaughn thought. How the hell am I supposed to move my stuff in two hours? He asked himself, glancing at his watch. The plane was leaving in three hours, but he would have to get there early. Then he remembered. The CIA would take care of these things. Or at least, they would have to. He would just have to pack and leave.  
  
- END FLASHBACK -  
  
Vaughn picked up a pen and started to write a report about the last mission he and Erin had went on. They had broken into a vault in downtown Madrid, to steal a file on another Rambaldi artifact. Honestly, Vaughn was sick of hearing about Rambaldi and his inventions. It was Rambaldi this and Rambaldi that. The ancient man ruined my life, Vaughn thought. The whole prophecy, the manuscript, and then the stupid circumference. The manuscript almost killed Sydney, as did the prophecy. But the circumference was the cause of this whole thing. Being separated from Sydney. Literally. Tons of countries lie between him and Sydney.  
  
Some days, he really wished he hadn't joined the Agency. Why couldn't I have gone to med school? Or even law school? At least then my life would be normal. 


	6. The Talk

I wish my life was normal, Sydney thought, resentment penetrating her soul. Then Vaughn would not have died.I would not know Sloane, Danny would still be alive, my mother.would be someone else. She walked into the SD-6 headquarters in time to see Sloane walk into his office. The second person she saw was Dixon. He was a good man, just working on the wrong side. And he didn't even know it. I wish he'd just report me soon, she thought morbidly. Sometimes it's better to die than to live a life like this, she thought. Why the hell am I thinking like this? Damn, this job has gotten to me. "Sydney," Dixon started, his eyes hard as slate. "Not now Dixon," Sydney said, not wanting to start this conversation at the SD-6 office. Then she walked towards Sloane's office without waiting for Dixon's answer. She pushed open the glass door, and walked in. "Sydney," Sloane greeted, looking away from his computer screen. "Sloane," Sydney replied. "Ready for your next assignment?" "Another one?" Sloane looked at her, surprised. "You're serving your country, Sydney. There's no limit," Sloane responded. Sydney tried not to roll her eyes or say something back. Instead, she said, "What's the mission?" "We'll detail it to you and Dixon after lunch. I'll see you then."  
  
--  
  
"You two are going to Rome. A man named Ludim Manzano, a Spanish immigrant to Rome, has set up a so-called business there. They are posing as a construction company, but in reality, it is a lab. Manzano's trying to imitate a Rambaldi artifact, and from the evidence we have gathered, he has succeeded," Sloane pressed a button on the remote and a picture of the artifact appeared on the screen. "That is the artifact," Sloane said, pointing to the screen. Sydney's eyes widened. "It's called the "circumference," and yes, Sydney, it is exactly like the one you got from Taipei a while back. Apparently, Manzano has duplicated it, and is currently trying to sell it for millions of dollars to K-Directorate." Sydney didn't hear anything after the word "circumference." It brought back a flood of memories that she had tried so hard to suppress. "Sydney, it is your job to destroy the circumference," Sloane said, looking directly at her. "Dixon will cut off the security cameras, and will oversee the operation from the van outside. And after you're done, grab a bite to eat. I think you two have to spend some quality time together," Sloane suggested, knowingly. Sydney glanced sideways at Dixon. He looked as surprised as she was.  
  
--  
  
"They want me to destroy the circumference," Sydney said tonelessly. "The CIA wants it destroyed also," her handler, Peter Lee agreed. "So there's really no counter mission." "Great," Sydney said, standing up. "I can go?" He nodded.  
  
--  
  
Sydney adjusted her leather outfit, cursing Sloane at the same time. She whispered into her microphone, "Dixon, I'm in." "Copy that," Dixon's flat voice replied. Ever since the night he saw Sydney emerge from the water, he had been acting this way. Sydney wanted to tell him all he wanted to know, but she couldn't. She couldn't afford to loose anyone else close to her. Not since Vaughn. Sydney glanced around and saw no guards. The whole building looked deserted to her.or is this after office-hours? She thought sarcastically. The strange part was that she might be right. She punched in the code for the door, and watched as it slid open. This room was smaller than the one she had entered in their last mission to Taipei. Sydney looked around for a red ball, and her eyes widened as she spotted it. It was the size of a shoe.  
  
--  
  
"Do you think Sloane suspects something?" Dixon said, settling into the booth. Sydney was silent. Her mind was floating somewhere else. In a world where Vaughn was alive, and everything was fine. Trattoria de Nardi. The restaurant Vaughn wanted to bring her to. Dixon had asked someone on the streets if they knew of a good restaurant. Trattoria de Nardi, was the answer. But Sydney had refused profusely, saying it was too far away, while in reality, she had only wanted to be in that restaurant with Vaughn. Not Dixon. "Sydney?" Dixon repeated, waving the glass of water in front of her face. "Huh? Oh, uh.I don't know." Dixon stared at her. "What?" "Are you going to tell me what's going on with you? Who are you working for?"  
  
"The government." "Which one?" "Our government Dixon. Which one did you think?" "Then tell me. What were you doing in the water? And why was your codename "Freelancer?" It was supposed to be "Bluebird."" "Dixon, do you trust me?" "I used to, but I'm not sure anymore," Dixon replied honestly. "Well, trust me this once. I'm tell you, I'm not a traitor to the United States," Sydney said firmly. "How can you prove it?" "Just trust me on this one," Sydney replied, frustrated. "That's not good enough Sydney," Dixon responded sadly. "Why not?" Sydney started. "Syd-" Dixon said angrily. "No. Hear me out Dixon. Look me straight in the eye and call me a traitor. If anything, just trust me on this. Nothing else. And of everything you should trust me on, this is the one." "You know I want to." "Then follow your instincts. I swear Dixon, I really want to tell you. But I can't. I can't afford to have another person die because of me, and I won't." "Danny and Noah." And Vaughn.she added silently. Vaughn's death was.a so-called "eye opener" for her. It taught her to take advantage of life, and not to take anyone for granted anymore. But the only person she took for granted was gone. Life was not fair. Dixon thought about this for a while. He stared down at his now lukewarm food, and then back at Sydney. It was as if he was trying to figure out if she was lying or not. "All right Sydney. I'll trust you on this. But you're going to tell me what's going on eventually, right?"  
  
"Right," Sydney smiled. 


	7. File #47

No more annoying pop-ups! I can write.but lately, my mind has been fried (3 finals done, and 3 more to go!), so sorry if it sucks.  
  
7/?  
  
"Agent Vaughn and Duval, your next mission is to break into the German Embassy here in Spain, and obtain File #47," the CIA director of the Madrid branch, Kavanah instructed, showing them a picture of the file and it's contents. "Rambaldi again?" Erin sighed. Vaughn looked surprised. She took the words right out of his mouth. "Yes Agent Duval, Rambaldi again," Kavanah said sternly. "First you have to find a man named Gustav Holtz, the director of the Embassy. He always keeps the card to the filing room on his body, so you have to locate it. Mara will show you the tech that goes along with this mission. Keep your camera, which is your necklace, focused on the card. Agent Vaughn will run it through the card duplicator. Not literally of course, but it will produce a duplicate card, and then he will slip it to you. Like a brush pass. Mara?" "All right. Mr. Vaughn, this is for you. You'll be handling communications for most of the time. No action for you in this mission," Mara grinned. "This looks like a regular credit card, but it's not. In fact, it's a basic card duplicator. I'm sure you've seen one of these back in LA, right?" "Right," Vaughn responded. Erin snickered, but only Vaughn heard her. He shot her a look that said, 'Shut up.' "Well, I guess you know how to work it," Mara replied, giving him the gadget. "Agent Duval, these are the glasses you use to locate the card key. Put them on, and you can see through clothing. The card will be seen as yellow through these glasses, and everything else will be blue." --  
  
Erin adjusted her earrings so that she could talk into it. "I'm in." She smiled at the guards who smiled back. "Copy that," Vaughn replied through the diamonds. "Now, go find Holtz." "A short man with white hair." "I see him," Vaughn said. "Where?"  
  
"Over there. By the main desk. He's talking to Carlos Esposito," Vaughn said. "Got it. Thanks," Erin whispered, making her way towards Holtz. "¿Perdón, Señor Holtz?" Erin asked in a thick Spanish accent. "Sí, puedes ayudarte?" Holtz replied, looking at Erin. Ah ha! Erin thought. I spy with my little eye.something yellow! "Estoy un estudiante de la Universidad, y tengo que presentar un informe sobre de este embajada. ¿Puedes contestar mis preguntas?" Erin questioned, keeping her necklace focused on his front pocket. "Ten more seconds to go," Vaughn informed from his end of the microphone. Erin groaned a little. "Ask him about what they do." he suggested, scanning the computer screen. "Sí, ¿quieres ir a mi oficina?" "No, no tenemos a ir. Podemos hablar aqui." "Vale." "Five more." "¿Cual es lo mas importante que necesita para trabajar en este ocupado?" "Necesita la abilidad de investigar-" "Done!" "Oh, lo siento Señor Holtz. Tengo a ir. Yo tengo clases ahora, y no sé que gastar cuartos minutos aqui. Lo siento," Erin said quickly, after glancing down at her watch. "Es vale. Clases son mas importante. Vienes ver mi a mañana," Holtz smiled. As Erin walked out of the building, she said, "Where are you?"  
  
"Right here," Vaughn whispered. Erin raised her eyes and saw a man in a business suit walking down the street towards her. The guards were watching, so she took her gaze off of him and looked down the street, as if she were trying to hail a taxi. She felt Vaughn pass her, and walked off. She put her hand in her pocket and felt the hard edge of the cardkey. "I'm off to the filing room." "Right. Room 447." "See you," Erin responded, walking around the building. She came to the rear exit, and peered in. No one. She slid in and flattened herself against the wall, keeping one hand around the key firmly. After studying the blueprints of this Embassy, Erin knew where every exit and entrances were. She pulled open a heavy door gently, and closed it the minute she got in. The stairwell was old and dirty, and smelly, not unlike any other stairwells in Spain.but this was an Embassy, Erin thought. They could have at least made it nicer. Oh well, she reflected, as she started her upward trek towards the fourth floor. Within seconds, she was up on the fourth floor, flattened against the wall to prevent being seen by the office workers. Room 447, she thought, glancing at the white numbers on the doors. 443.445.447! She looked around her to see if anyone was in the hallway. No one was. Where the hell are all you people? Erin wondered. It was strange to her that people weren't hanging out in the halls, like they were in the American Embassy. Oh, well, maybe Germans are all work and no play. She flew to the other side of the hall and eased open the door. Erin made her way to the filing cabinet, and poked around. File #900 - 1030.wrong cabinet. She pulled out another one. File #718 - 899. Wrong one again.What's with this weird numbering system? She skipped a few cabinets and pulled it out. File #1 - 53. Ah ha! She thumbed the files and grinned as she pulled out #47. She checked quickly to see if the contents were in there. They were. She was about to leave, when a kick in the leg made her fall. "What the hell?" Erin let out, looking up to see another woman standing over her.  
  
--  
  
I am so pathetic. I was going to name their "tech woman" Marsha! Haha. 


	8. Frustration

"Give me the file," the woman said. "No," Erin bit back. "Then I'll just have to get it myself, don't I?" You bet you do, Erin thought sarcastically. Erin looked towards the door. I could probably make it.She took the chance. "Erin? You there?" Vaughn asked. "Yeah, someone's on me though," Erin responded hastily, looking back to see the blonde gaining speed on her. "Shit!" Erin cursed. "I'm coming," Vaughn said quickly, standing up from his seat in the truck. "No! Stay there. I'm almost there," Erin replied. "It's not like I've never ran from someone before." She was almost out of the parking lot, and Vaughn was waiting across the street. "You sure?" "Yeah. Now shut up. Talking to you is wasting my air." Suddenly, deep male voices were yelling at her in German. She turned for a second, and there they were. Practically on her heels. Erin stopped suddenly, knowing that they were going to get her if she didn't, and stood in fighting stance, fists up. Seconds later, the guards were down. Two were clutching their knees, while the other one was on the ground, unconscious. Then a fist hit her in the stomach, causing her to double over. "The file." "I said no," Erin gasped, getting back up and glared the woman. "Who the hell do you work for?" She asked as she punched the blonde in the face.  
  
The blonde had her fingers around the edge of the file, but Erin tore it back, and started running again. Then she felt something hard hit her across her back. She fell face forward onto the cold cement floor. And then she saw nothing.  
  
--  
  
"OK, that's the last time I ever listen to you," Vaughn said the next day at work. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be resting?" "Nope. I feel fine. Maybe a little bruised, but I'm fine. It's not like you've never seen worse," Erin responded lightly. Vaughn thought back to the days with Sydney. "OK, fine, I've seen worse. But you said you were going to be fine." "And I am!"  
  
"Agent Vaughn.Agent Duval, Kavanah wants to see you two," Kavanah's secretary, Joy Ramirez said, sticking her head into Vaughn's office.  
  
--  
  
"Agent Duval, we have reason to believe that the Alliance was behind that," Kavanah announced. "Which one?" "We narrowed it down to three. SIS, FTL, and SD-6. Only the two of them were in the vicinity of the Embassy. SD-6.Vaughn kept repeating that in his head. It was evil, but it was the only link he had left with Sydney.  
  
--  
  
"What did this woman look like?" Vaughn asked Erin, over a cup of coffee at the restaurant next to the American Embassy. "She had blonde hair, and that's all I can remember. But I'm not even sure about that. It could have been a wig, for all I know," Erin responded, stirring her coffee. "Tall? Short?" "Tall." "Race?" "Caucasian. I think." "That narrows it down," Vaughn replied sarcastically. "I can't remember!" "It's all right. I'm just frustrated about all this." "[I]You[/I] are? Hey, I'm the one who got hit and trampled on. OK, maybe not trampled on, but [I]I'm[/I] the one that should be frustrated here." "All right then. Be frustrated. I have a meeting to go to with the techies. I'll be up to your office later," Vaughn said as he left.  
  
--  
  
Sorry! I didn't think it was the right time for Syd and Vaughn to meet. Lol.ok, that wasn't very funny. Well, don't worry, they will meet sometime. Soon I think. 


	9. The Warning

[I] just thought you might want to know.(hey, I thought it was interesting): only [B]30% of all New York High School students[/B] who took the Physics Regents passed. (I didn't take the physics Regents in case you were wondering.lol). They curved it DOWN 3 points. *question: how do ppl curve grades down? Er. [/I]  
  
[U]Chapter 9[/U]  
  
Sydney dropped her bags near the front door, and threw her keys onto the kitchen counter. She sighed as she poured herself a glass of water. Life was not good. She had not even reached LA, when Sloane called her on her cell phone, to detail her next mission to her. She wasn't even going to be in LA for 24 hours before she was supposed to leave again. What am I going to tell Francie? Sydney asked herself.  
  
She grabbed a pad and a pen from the counter, next to the phone, and started writing. It was the usual letter. [I] Francie, I'm so sorry.another trip came up. But this time I'm going to Florida, so it won't be as bad.[/I].  
  
Seven o'clock pm flight.Sydney repeated. That gives me.an hour. Great, she thought. I don't have time for anything. She grabbed her keys and walked to the door, her suitcase in hand.  
  
This time, good ol' Sloane was sending her to England to retrieve the same File #47 from the German Embassy over there. According to Sloane, the blueprints of both the German Embassies were the same, so she knew how and where to retrieve it. Too bad I won't have someone there to do my job for me, Sydney half-snickered at the memory of her last mission. Who was she though? There were so many different possibilities.K-Directorate.I bet she's K-Directorate, Sydney thought.  
  
--  
  
"Agent Vaughn! Kavanah has urgent information for you and Agent Duval!" Joy said loudly, just as Vaughn was stepping out of his office to grab a cup of coffee.  
  
"What? Oh.I'll be there. Just give me a second," Vaughn replied, grabbing a Styrofoam cup from the holder.  
  
--  
  
"Agent Duval, we have just received information that there is another identical File #47. But it's in the German Embassy in England. You two will be going there to obtain that file. And the Embassy in England has the same building and room structure as the one here, so it won't be hard to find."  
  
"When do we leave?" Vaughn asked.  
  
"In two hours. Oh, and Agent Duval? You might meet up with the person who attacked you again, so be prepared," Kavanah warned.  
  
"Oh.great. Thanks," Erin replied.  
  
--  
  
"And this time, whatever you say, I'm not listening to you," Vaughn warned, looking up from the magazine he was reading.  
  
Erin turned to him from the windows. "Shut up."  
  
"I'm serious."  
  
"So am I," Erin rolled her eyes.  
  
"How old are you, if you don't mind my asking," Vaughn replied sarcastically.  
  
"I do mind. Haven't you heard of that saying? Never ask a woman her age?"  
  
"Actually, I've only heard the "Never ask a woman her weight" one before," Vaughn joked.  
  
"Haha, you are so funny!" Erin responded sardonically.  
  
"So, did you bring any backup equipment?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"In case you get attacked again," Vaughn said slowly.  
  
"Yes I did. Basic equipment though. Plus, aren't you gonna be there to save me?" Erin asked playfully.  
  
Vaughn snickered.  
  
"OK, fine, I brought a gun. Standard. You got one too."  
  
"Yeah, thanks for reminding me. I forgot about that for a moment."  
  
-- 


	10. The Encounter

[U]Chapter 10[/U]  
  
There she was. The short blonde girl from Spain, Sydney thought, creeping closer to the file cabinet. What was that near her? A gun.  
  
The girl was too busy trying to find the file, that she didn't have an eye on the weapon. Sydney took that information to her advantage, and grabbed the gun so fast that the girl didn't see it coming.  
  
--  
  
"Shit," Vaughn heard through Erin's microphone.  
  
"What?"  
  
"She stole my gun," came the whispered reply.  
  
"She's there?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm coming," Vaughn replied, switching off the computer screen. He grabbed his gun and ran out of the van.  
  
--  
  
"What do you want?" Erin asked, standing up with the file in her hands.  
  
"The file," the woman responded.  
  
"Well, you're not going to get it," Erin replied defiantly, getting into her fighting stance.  
  
The woman grinned slightly, as if to say, 'Bring it on.'  
  
--  
  
Sydney cursed as the woman punched her in the face. That's gonna leave a bruise, she thought, bringing her fist back. The gun was still in her hand, but she didn't want to take advantage of someone like that. If she had a gun, then Sydney would use it.  
  
Suddenly, a loud bang caused them to stop. Sydney held the woman in a headlock, and she didn't loosen her grip, their backs facing the door.  
  
"Let go of her," a male voice said, steadily.  
  
Sydney could hear him click off the safety. He has a gun.  
  
"I won't hesitate to use this," he said slowly.  
  
Neither will I, Sydney thought. She spun around quickly and pulled the trigger, not even looking to see who it was. 


	11. Vaughn?!

[U] Chapter 11 [/U]  
  
"Sydney!" he let out before he fell to the ground.  
  
"Oh god.Vaughn!?" Sydney gasped. She didn't have time to think. She caught him before he fell, shock still visible on her features.  
  
"Syd."  
  
I can't believe I just shot Vaughn. No.I didn't shoot him. I shot the intruder.Oh god. I shot Vaughn.  
  
Sydney watched as the blood poured out of his stomach. No.  
  
"Mike! Are you all right?" the short blonde woman asked, kneeling down beside him.  
  
Mike? Who the hell is this woman? Calling him "Mike?"  
  
"Yeah." Vaughn whispered, trying to ignore the pain.  
  
"I am going to [I]kill[/I] you!" the woman shouted, turning her icy eyes on Sydney, she grabbed a nearby gun. The one Sydney had dropped.  
  
"No! No. Erin.give me the gun.give it to me!" Vaughn said, between breaths. He reached out a hand and grabbed the gun. He was surprisingly strong for someone who was just shot in the stomach.  
  
"But.but -"  
  
"Vaughn.we have to get you to a hospital. Now," Sydney decided.  
  
"No. They'll notice.where's Dixon."  
  
"I came alone on this. He's on vacation with his family," Sydney responded desperately, pressing down on his wound with her bare hands. "And the guards are in the basement. Searching for a bomb."  
  
"Bomb?"  
  
"Someone called in. Bomb threat."  
  
"SD-6?"  
  
"How'd you guess? Now I'm getting you to a hospital if you want to or not," Sydney said decisively.  
  
"Hey!" Erin cut in.  
  
"Are you going to help me or not?" Sydney asked.  
  
"Syd.I'm sorry."  
  
"No. Vaughn, tell me later. Not now," Sydney pleaded.  
  
"No. Have to.tell you now. Can't wait," Vaughn gasped. "I'm sorry.for leaving."  
  
"It's all right. It's all right," Sydney said between tears.  
  
"No, it's not." Vaughn said softly.  
  
Sydney watched as his eyes drooped slowly. "No! Vaughn, stay awake. Keep your eyes open! Don't close them. Don't close them!"  
  
His eyes closed.  
  
"No! Vaughn! I lost you once, and I can't lose you again!" Sydney cried hysterically.  
  
"Relax. It's all right. He just got shot in the stomach. He's been through worse than this, believe me," Erin said suddenly.  
  
"No." Sydney gathered his body up in her arms, and Erin jumped up to help her.  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"The hospital."  
  
--  
  
"Is he going to be all right?" Erin asked, jumping up the moment she saw the doctor.  
  
"Agent Vaughn is listed in critical condition, and he's unconscious," the CIA doctor said, in a British accent. "And we don't have the top equipment, like the ones in the States, to take care of him."  
  
"What!"  
  
"Is there a helicopter here?"  
  
"For emergencies, yes," the doctor responded to Sydney's question.  
  
` "I'm bringing him to LA. The CIA hospital there is one of the best."  
  
--  
  
He was supposed to be dead.Sydney thought, as she sat in the waiting room in the LA hospital. Erin was sitting in front of her, flipping through a magazine. You attended his funeral.what was he doing in England? With.Erin? Why didn't he call? Why didn't he tell me?  
  
"OK, who are you?" Erin's voice cut through Sydney's thoughts like a sharpened knife.  
  
"Sydney.Bristow," Sydney replied monotonously.  
  
"I'm Erin Duval. I take it you're CIA?"  
  
Sydney nodded. Then shook her head. "Double."  
  
"You're a double?"  
  
Sydney nodded. "SD-6."  
  
"You knew Vaughn?"  
  
"Yes, I know him."  
  
"How?"  
  
"He's.was my handler."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I thought he died."  
  
"But he really went to Spain."  
  
"Right. Wait.Spain?"  
  
"Yeah, we worked at the American Embassy there together. Actually, we're both CIA."  
  
"Hm."  
  
"Sydney! Why'd you call me? Are you all right?" Weiss' voice exclaimed, breaking the forming silence.  
  
She lifted her head to see a slightly disheveled Weiss barge through the waiting room doors.  
  
"It's Vaughn."  
  
"Mrs. Vaughn?"  
  
"No. Vaughn. Michael Vaughn," Sydney said painfully.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about Sydney? It's not funny," Weiss replied, narrowing his eyes at her.  
  
"She's not making it up," Erin spoke up softly.  
  
"And who the hell are you?" Weiss turned his deadly gaze towards Erin.  
  
"Erin Duval. Agent Duval. CIA branch in Madrid."  
  
"OK, so what's this about Vaughn?"  
  
"He's in critical condition."  
  
"OK, now you lost me. What the hell are you talking about, critical condition?"  
  
"Yeah.I thought he was dead too," Sydney responded in a small voice, staring down at her shoes.  
  
"Wait. Thought? He's not? How? Then where was he?"  
  
"He's alive. I don't think he ever died. I think Devlin set it all up, the dying part that is. And I think he was in Spain, working with Erin."  
  
"All right, then why's he in the hospital here in LA in critical condition?" Weiss asked, shuffling his feet on the tile floor.  
  
"I um.I.I -"  
  
"Sydney shot him."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"She thought he was a guard or something."  
  
Sydney nodded at Erin gratefully. She wasn't so bad, but what was that "Mike" episode?  
  
--  
  
"Anyone here for Michael Vaughn?" a doctor in a white lab coat asked, stepping into the room.  
  
Sydney, Erin, and Weiss all stood up.  
  
"How is he?" Sydney asked, locking her desperate eyes on the doctor's.  
  
"He's still unconscious, and in critical condition.and he's lost a tremendous amount of blood, but other than that, he's fine."  
  
"Can we do anything to help?" Weiss questioned.  
  
"You can give blood. Who here is type O?"  
  
"I am," Sydney said.  
  
"I'm A," Erin replied.  
  
"And I'm B positive.I think."  
  
--  
  
Vaughn opened his eyes slowly. Then he shut them again. The bright white light was hurting his eyes. And why does my stomach feel as if it's on fire? He asked himself. Then if all came back to him. Erin and Sydney fighting. Sydney shooting him. Sydney.was it all a dream? No.God wouldn't be that cruel.It can't be all a dream. It's not.Vaughn thought as his eyes rested on a sleeping figure next to the bed. 


	12. Thanks

[U] Chapter 12 [/U]  
  
He lifted his hand slowly, and placed it on hers, covering it. She stirred at the movement, but remained asleep.  
  
She looks exhausted, he thought, staring at her. There were visible black circles under her eyes, and her face looked a little thinner than normal, but she was still beautiful.  
  
He tried to sit up, momentarily forgetting his stomach injury, but fell back against the pillows again. He thanked God for letting him see Sydney again, but not being able to move was not part of the plan. Damn.he thought.  
  
His little movement woke Sydney up. Her eyes opened gradually, and the tiredness flew out of her features.  
  
"Vaughn! You're awake! Are you all right? Do you need something?"  
  
"No.sh." he said softly, covering her hand with his again.  
  
Then Sydney began to cry. "I thought you were dead. Why didn't you call? The past few months have been hell for me."  
  
"For me too."  
  
"I met your mother. She's a nice lady.she.she thinks you're dead too."  
  
"My mom?"  
  
Sydney nodded. "Alice was there too, and all your friends."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Your.your.your funeral."  
  
"My what?"  
  
"Funeral. We all thought you were dead. Weiss, your mother.Alice, me."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"What hospital is this?"  
  
"CIA hospital in LA."  
  
"I'm in LA?"  
  
Sydney nodded.  
  
"What are you doing here? What if SD-6 finds out?" Vaughn replied worriedly.  
  
"I took the week off. After I got the file, I asked Sloane, and he agreed that I needed time for myself."  
  
"I usually don't think on the same line as criminals, but I agree with him," Vaughn said.  
  
Sydney smiled slightly, then jumped up. "I'm such a hogger. Weiss and Erin are outside waiting. I'll get them."  
  
"No! Stay."  
  
Sydney turned back towards Vaughn. "You sure?"  
  
"Never been more sure about anything," Vaughn assured her.  
  
"All right then," she smiled. "Are you sure you're feeling OK?" she asked after seeing him grimace in pain.  
  
"I'm all right," he replied. "Just not used to not being able to move."  
  
"I'm sorry," Sydney blurted suddenly.  
  
"What? For what? Why?" a startled Vaughn responded.  
  
"For shooting you. I'm so sorry! I didn't stop to see who it was. I just shot."  
  
"It's all right Sydney. It's part of the job. I should hae expected it. And if you hadn't, I wouldn't be here right now would I? Back here in LA? So I'm supposed to be thanking you right now."  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes, Syd. Thank you. I've never really liked Spain. My apartment was a piece of crap.and you were all the way in LA. So, yeah, I didn't like it there."  
  
[I]You were all the in LA. So, yeah, I didn't like it there.[/I] Sydney wondered if there was a double meaning to that. Did he really miss her? Or did he just add that for my sake? 


	13. The Dream

[U] Chapter 13 [/U]  
  
"Fran? Francie?" Sydney called, walking into the house.  
  
"Hm? Syd! Where were you? We were worried," Francie replied, walking out of the living room.  
  
"I had a trip."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but you usually come back within a day or two. It's been three!"  
  
"Calm down," Sydney let out a little laugh. "Fran, meet Erin. And Erin, meet Francie."  
  
"Hi," Erin smiled.  
  
"Hey," Francie replied, startled. She hadn't seen this woman behind Sydney.  
  
"Erin's going to stay with us for a couple of days, if that's all right."  
  
"Sure. But do you mind sleeping on the couch? We don't really have a guest room."  
  
"The couch is fine."  
  
"Make yourself at home. Will, our friend, usually comes over everyday, so don't be alarmed if you see a rugged blonde man lurking in the shadows," Francie laughed.  
  
Erin smiled. "I won't."  
  
"Syd, can I talk to you for a second?" Francie requested, pulling Sydney into her room.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Who is she, and how do you know her?"  
  
"She's Erin Duval.and I know her from work."  
  
"That's it? What city did she come from? Why's she staying here?"  
  
"Why don't you ask her? I'm sure she'd be more than happy to tell you," Sydney responded.  
  
--  
  
"So.Erin, what made you come to LA?" Will questioned, pushing up his glasses with his forefinger.  
  
"Well, I work at the bank with Sydney now.but before, I worked at the headquarters in NYC. I was transferred," Erin replied. Sydney had told her about her alias, and what to say when people asked.  
  
"Why wouldn't you like to stay in New York though? Isn't it like, "the city" of the country?" Will asked, curiously.  
  
"Sorry Erin, did I tell you Will here is a reporter?" Sydney cut in.  
  
"No," Erin laughed.  
  
"Well, Will's a reporter," Sydney smiled. "Stop interrogating her Will."  
  
"No, it's fine, really," Erin smiled at Will, urging him to keep talking.  
  
"All right then. You guys keep talking, I have to go," Sydney said, standing up after looking down at her watch.  
  
"You'll get used to it," Will smiled, speaking to Erin. "Do they work you as hard too?"  
  
Erin's face was blank for a second, then she caught on. "Oh, right. Um.yeah, sometimes. You know, with all the bankruptcies and lawsuits now, we need all the help we can get."  
  
--  
  
"Vaughn?" Sydney called out, after receiving no answer when she knocked.  
  
Still no answer.  
  
Oh no, Sydney thought worriedly, what if.  
  
She opened the door, and was relieved to see him sleeping peacefully on the hospital bed. OK, stop it. He's fine.stop being paranoid! She told herself, as she settled in the chair. Sloane forgot to mention.not only does this job cover health care and insurance, paranoia also comes with it.  
  
Sydney shifted in the seat, but her gaze never left Vaughn's face. He looked just like an angel, so peaceful and innocent, bringing light into her life.  
  
But his features suddenly twisted into a grimace. Was he in pain? Sydney asked herself, shooting up from the chair. Or is it a nightmare? People usually don't feel pain when they're asleep, do they?  
  
[I] Vaughn opened his eyes to greet a sleeping Sydney. She was wearing a gray sweatshirt, but was as beautiful as ever. He wanted to tell her something, but didn't want to wake her up. His near brush with death had taught him to take advantage of the present.  
  
He didn't have to worry. Sydney's eyes opened seconds after his did.  
  
"Hey, you feeling OK?"  
  
He nodded. "Look Syd."  
  
A loud bang interrupted his words.  
  
"What was that?" Sydney asked, alarmed.  
  
It sounded like a gunshot.  
  
Then the door opened slowly.but it seemed like hours.  
  
A gun.followed by a gloved hand, a leather-clad arm.and then the face.  
  
"Dixon! What the hell are you doing here?!"  
  
"Syd.get down," Vaughn said slowly. "Syd! Get down!"  
  
"Sydney Bristow.you betrayed us. You betrayed me! I've had my eye on you for a while now, and I told you. I would not hesitate to kill you if you betrayed us."  
  
"Dixon! At dinner."  
  
"I was lying Sydney. You actually believed what I was saying? So trustful.something you should never be in this job. You should know that."  
  
"What do you want?" Sydney asked defiantly.  
  
He lifted the gun and pointed it right at her.  
  
"This," he said. "But first, who is this man? Ah.Agent Vaughn, am I correct?"  
  
"Dixon."  
  
"Should I kill him.or you? Such a tough decision." Dixon replied, looking at Vaughn, and then at Sydney.  
  
"Me," came the steady answer.  
  
"Vaughn!"  
  
"Shut up Sydney." Vaughn responded regretfully. "Pull the trigger Dixon! Pull the damn trigger!"  
  
Dixon pointed it at Sydney. And pulled.  
  
"You son of a bitch!" Vaughn screamed, watching Sydney fall to the ground slowly. He tried to sit up, but for some reason, he found himself chained to the bed.  
  
Dixon disappeared. But Sydney was dead.  
  
"No! No.no.no." Vaughn repeated in his head, desperately trying to move. [/I]  
  
He sat up, sweating. The pain in his stomach reminded him of his injury, but it was too late.  
  
He swore out loud.  
  
Sydney woke up, startled by the sound.  
  
"Oh God.Vaughn, what are you doing sitting up? Are you hurt? Do you want me to go get a doctor?" Sydney asked, fearful.  
  
"No. I just want to talk."  
  
"OK. We'll talk. What did you want to talk about?" Sydney questioned, sitting back down. The look of worry never left her face. 


	14. Hey Mom

[U] Chapter 14 [/U]  
  
"What?"  
  
"What did you want to talk about?" Sydney repeated. Her heartbeat was almost back at it's normal pace. Vaughn looked as if he was in pain, but he denied it.  
  
"At least let me help you lay back down," Sydney said, placing her hand gently on his shoulder.  
  
"I can't talk to you if I'm lying down," Vaughn protested.  
  
"Yes you can.All right, fine," Sydney gave in reluctantly.  
  
Vaughn smiled. Then it disappeared. Should I tell her how I feel? I know I didn't get to in my dream, but that's just a dream. Right? Actually, it was a nightmare. But nightmares are just nightmares. They don't mean anything.  
  
"Uh.Where's Erin?" Vaughn asked, after a few seconds of pondering. Whoa, Mike.wrong thing to say.  
  
"Erin? She's at my house. She'll be staying there for a while I guess."  
  
"Right.OK. That's nice of you."  
  
Awkward silence permeated the air.  
  
"So, uh, how's my mom? You said you see her often," Vaughn tried.  
  
"Oh my god.your mom! I forgot to tell her. With everything that's been happening.Jeez, I'm so stupid! Hold on a sec," Sydney cried, rushing out the door with her cell phone.  
  
--  
  
"Delorme! It's Sydney," Sydney said hurriedly.  
  
"Sydney! How are you? Are you OK? You sound stressed."  
  
"I'm fine. Oh god, I'm so thoughtless. You would not believe what happened! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him. Oh god."  
  
"Sydney, are you sure you're all right?"  
  
"Yes, yes, I'm fine. It's just that Vaughn.Michael.he's in the hospital," Sydney said hastily.  
  
"What? Sydney, I don't think I heard you right. Did you say something about Michael being in the hospital?"  
  
"Yes! He's in Central. I'm here right now."  
  
"Sydney.I know you still can't get over it.neither can I.but he's dead. He's not coming back."  
  
"No! Delorme! Listen to me. He's alive. He is! I accidentally shot him in London, but he got flown here."  
  
"Sydney?" Vaughn called from his room.  
  
"Hold on a sec Delorme," Sydney said, sticking her head back into Vaughn's room.  
  
"Let me speak with her. She doesn't believe you, does she?" Vaughn asked, taking the small phone from Sydney.  
  
"Mom?"  
  
".Mi.Mi.Michael?"  
  
"Hey Mom." Vaughn said softly.  
  
"You're.you're.not dead." came the weak reply.  
  
"No, I'm not," Vaughn responded, smiling through his tears.  
  
"But how."  
  
"I'll explain later. We just thought you might want to know."  
  
"Michael, you've been alive for all these months, and never bothered to call?" his real mother was back.  
  
He smiled. "I couldn't."  
  
"Well, now that you're back, wait.are you with Sydney?"  
  
"She's right here."  
  
"Don't let her get taken away by some guy. Keep her Michael. She's the one."  
  
".I know."  
  
"Then when are you going to ask her to marry you?"  
  
Vaughn could almost see his mother with her hands on her hips. But he could see the reason in her words. She was right. Sydney's the one.  
  
"You don't understand.it's easier said than done."  
  
"Then you'll have to explain it to me sometime. But don't let her go. I'm coming over. What room are you in?"  
  
"742."  
  
"I love you," his mother said before she hung up.  
  
"What was that about?" Sydney questioned curiously.  
  
"Oh.my mom.she just wanted to talk."  
  
"Speaking of which.did you want to say something to me before?" Sydney asked, taking her cell phone back.  
  
"Uh, not really. I was just feeling a bit lonely, that's all," Vaughn lied.  
  
Sydney looked at him straight in the eye. "All right. Should I get Erin and Weiss up here? I know they've been waiting forever. But I told them to go home for a while."  
  
"Sure."  
  
He watched her leave. Damn, you're such a chicken! He told himself. You can't even tell her what you wanted her to know. What if something happens to her? But this is a CIA hospital, he reasoned with himself. They'll find out.and send me away - again. And I know I won't be this lucky again.  
  
There's only one way. To take SD-6 down. 


	15. What?

[U] Chapter 15 [/U]  
  
"Agent Vaughn." Devlin said slowly.  
  
Vaughn stood there, staring back at him. The moment of truth.I'd either be able to stay here, or Devlin would send me on a plane to Spain again.  
  
"Well, it's no secret you're alive and well again, so even if we do send you back to Madrid, people will know where to look and how to contact you."  
  
You mean Sydney, Vaughn thought.  
  
"So, I think it's better off you stay here in LA. You'll get your old job back, and your apartment's still empty. We can send all the stuff back," Devlin suggested.  
  
Vaughn smiled inwardly.  
  
"We're giving you two weeks off, because the doctor said it would be for our best interest. No strenuous activity for fourteen days. Oh, right, about Agent Duval. I have made contact with Kavanah. He agreed to let her stay here. Which means she's transferring to this branch. Just thought I should tell you that," Devlin said as he waved Vaughn off.  
  
--  
  
"Joey's Pizza?"  
  
"Sorry.wrong number."  
  
--  
  
Vaughn looked up surprised, when he heard two sets of footsteps enter the warehouse.  
  
"Hi," he addressed both agents.  
  
"I told you Erin was staying at my place for a while," Sydney started.  
  
"Yeah. Well, it's a good thing both of you are here. I just spoke with Devlin, and he said Kavanah's reassigning you -"  
  
"What?"  
  
"-to our LA branch," Vaughn finished.  
  
"What?" both women said at the same time, but in different tones.  
  
"But then.what about you?" Erin questioned, taking a seat on one of the cardboard boxes in front of Vaughn.  
  
Sydney narrowed her eyes slightly. That's my seat.this is our warehouse.Am I jealous? Maybe.  
  
"Devlin's letting me stay here. I'll get my old job and my apartment back."  
  
"What about our things in Spain? Our assignments?"  
  
"They're going to send someone there to get our stuff.and our assignments? I think they'll just assign new people on them."  
  
Sydney coughed a silent cough in middle of the warehouse where she stood. She felt like a third wheel. She scuffed the toe of her shoe on the cement floor.  
  
"What's your old job?" Erin asked.  
  
"He was my handler," Sydney spoke up.  
  
"Right. I'll see to Sydney's counter missions again."  
  
"Where am I going to stay?"  
  
"The CIA always provides accommodation.including housing, so they'll probably give you an apartment."  
  
"Sorry to interrupt your conversations, but was this why you called? Because I have to meet Will and Francie - no. Not Will. I have to meet Francie at her restaurant."  
  
"Uh," Vaughn looked up in surprise. "Yeah. This is the reason I called. Go ahead. I'll bring Erin by later."  
  
Sydney nodded and walked out of the warehouse, her heels clicking against the cold floor. 


	16. Pretty Hot

[U] Chapter 16[/U]  
  
"Hey!" Francie smiled, as Sydney appeared in front of her.  
  
"Hey. I see you've got lots of customers," Sydney remarked.  
  
"I know! The mayor even came down to congratulate us on the opening. A few journalists even came down here to ask questions. Which reminds me.Will said he'd be by later. He had to interview some new CEO of some computer company nearby."  
  
Sydney nodded. Will.he'd been in the Witness Protection Program for a while, but then he came back, saying the CIA said it wasn't necessary anymore. I sure hope they're right, Sydney thought grimly.  
  
"So, what's up?" Francie asked, sitting on a stool in front of the bar.  
  
Sydney sat. "Nothing."  
  
"Come on Syd. I can tell something's on your mind. Is it that girl Erin?"  
  
Sydney sighed. "I have a question. What do you do if you think the guy you like, likes someone else?"  
  
"I don't have any good advice, but remember that saying? May the best man win? Well, in this case, may the best woman win. Now tell me.who is this guy? And why didn't you tell me about him sooner?"  
  
"I didn't say there was a guy," Sydney started.  
  
"Sydney, Francie can tell when you're bullshitting her," Francie said, a sly grin on her face.  
  
"It's no one.OK, fine. Just someone from work."  
  
"The Christmas present one?" Francie asked pointedly.  
  
"Um.yeah," Sydney responded, not looking at her friend. Instead, she watched as the waiters and waitresses hurried about, carrying trays to tables and walking around with menus.  
  
"Syd! What does he look like? Is he hot? What does he do? When'd you meet him?"  
  
Sydney blushed. "Yeah, he's pretty hot."  
  
Francie grinned.  
  
"He works at the bank too. And he transferred this year to our branch, so I guess I've just known him for a year."  
  
"What's his name?"  
  
"V-Michael Vaughn," Sydney cut herself off.  
  
"Michael.hm.I've always loved that name," Francie said reflectively. "Now, what's the deal? He likes someone else?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Jared, can you get us two martinis?" Francie asked, naming Syd's choice drink.  
  
"Sure Fran," the bartender responded, flashing her a smile.  
  
"Is it Erin? I've always known that girl was trouble," Francie shook her head.  
  
"I think it is. And he's bringing her home later tonight."  
  
"What!? Why?"  
  
"Because I left early from the meeting. She's probably still there."  
  
"Syd! Why'd you leave early?"  
  
"To come here."  
  
"Next time you leave early, bring her with you. Never leave Erin alone with Michael Vaughn. Get it? Good."  
  
Sydney sipped her drink when it came, and held it in her hand. "Yes, I got it."  
  
"When's she leaving?"  
  
"She's moving in to her apartment sometime soon I suppose," Sydney responded.  
  
"I think Will likes her."  
  
"What?" Sydney coughed out.  
  
"I think Will likes her. Erin, I mean," Francie repeated. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Sydney flashed Francie a smile to cover up her startled expression.  
  
"Do you want me to kick her ass for you?" Francie suggested seriously.  
  
Sydney held back a giggle. "No, it's all right Fran."  
  
"I'm serious. I took some martial arts classes.back in the days."  
  
"I can fight my own fights Fran, but thanks for offering," Sydney grinned.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
Sydney nodded. 


	17. Oh no!

[U] Chapter 17 [/U]  
  
"I don't think she likes me," Erin said suddenly, looking after Sydney, who had just walked out of the warehouse.  
  
"Why do you say that?" Vaughn asked.  
  
"Because. I can tell."  
  
"Well, she let you stay at her house for a couple of days."  
  
"Yeah, she's nice and all, but I don't think she likes me," Erin repeated.  
  
"She just doesn't know you yet," Vaughn suggested. "Maybe when you two get to know each other better."  
  
"Don't count on it Mike," Erin snickered.  
  
"Can't you two at least try?" Vaughn sighed, irritated.  
  
"Hey, you'll have to talk to her about it. It's not my fault!"  
  
"Erin, just.just go move into your apartment, and everything will be fine," Vaughn said, desperately trying to think of something to say. Move into your apartment, and everything will be fine? What the hell kind of advice is that?  
  
"You like her, don't you?" Erin asked. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous.the green little monster was rearing it's ugly head.  
  
"Of course I like her Erin. If I didn't, I wouldn't be her handler, would I?" Vaughn responded, not noticing her tone of voice.  
  
"That's not what I meant."  
  
"Then what did you - Erin." he sighed, finally getting it. "I have a lot to catch up on here.can we continue this conversation later?"  
  
"You mean, can I drop it," Erin said, matter-of-factly.  
  
Vaughn turned to look at her. "Yes. Just drop it."  
  
Erin groaned. "Fine, whatever. I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"I'm supposed to bring you home," Vaughn said simply.  
  
"It's all right. I'll take the cab."  
  
"The cab? How're you going to get one over here?" Vaughn asked, grabbing his briefcase.  
  
"I could call," Erin said, her tone a little less sure.  
  
"You don't know the number. Come on Erin, I'll take you home," Vaughn said, walking out into the fresh air, to his car.  
  
Erin followed like a lost dog.  
  
--  
  
"I'll get it!" Francie yelled.  
  
The doorbell rang incessantly, and Francie wondered who it could be, ringing the damn thing this late.  
  
"What - oh, hey.Erin," Francie forced a smile.  
  
"Hi Francie. I'm sorry I'm so late. Michael and I went out for dinner," Erin apologized.  
  
"Dinner," Francie smiled. But inside, she was fuming.for Sydney. Who was this girl, Erin? Having dinner with Michael Vaughn? Even though she had never met the guy, she knew he held a very special place in Sydney's heart.even if Sydney denied it.  
  
"Yeah. Dinner. He was going to bring me straight home, but we were both hungry, so."  
  
"Of course! Dinner.well, next time you two get hungry, come to my restaurant, OK? That way you can get a discount," Francie grinned. And so I can spy on the two of you, she thought.  
  
"We'll remember next time," Erin grinned, taking her place on the couch.  
  
Oh no! Francie thought.did I just encourage the two of them to go eat dinner again? Sorry Syd.  
  
"Well, I'm going to go wash up. Thanks again for letting me stay here," Erin smiled gratefully.  
  
"You should be thanking Sydney, not me. She's letting me stay here too."  
  
"That's kind of her," Erin commented.  
  
"She's a kind person," Francie concluded. "Well, I should be going to sleep now anyway. Good night."  
  
"Good night," Erin responded, watching Francie walk back to her own room. 


	18. Office Gossip

- lots of dialogue..no theme.no nothing.  
  
[U]Chapter 18[/U]  
  
"So what happened when I was gone?" Vaughn asked Weiss over a cup of steaming hot coffee.  
  
"Not much. Well, actually, Sydney told you about your funeral, right?"  
  
"That sounds morbid.but when I asked, I meant stuff going on in the office," Vaughn replied.  
  
"Oh, right. Knew that. Well, not much. We obtained a couple more Rambaldi artifacts - but let me tell you. That old guy is getting.well, old."  
  
"Tell me about it," Vaughn said sarcastically.  
  
"Devlin went on vacation a couple of months ago," Weiss grinned.  
  
"With who?"  
  
"His wife."  
  
"He has one?"  
  
"That's what I thought too. I guess so. They went to the Bahamas."  
  
"You're kidding. Devlin?"  
  
Weiss nodded. "Nothing like good ol' office gossip."  
  
Vaughn laughed.  
  
"Who's this Erin girl?" Weiss asked casually, sipping his coffee.  
  
"Erin? She was my partner in Spain."  
  
"That's it?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, she's pretty - "  
  
"Eric."  
  
" - hot," Weiss finished. "What? She is. Don't tell me you don't like her."  
  
"Of course I like her. She was my partner for gods sake!"  
  
"So you mean.she's single?"  
  
"I wouldn't know, seriously. This conversation is over. I have to go meet with Devlin.five minutes ago." Vaughn groaned, throwing the now empty Styrofoam cup into the trash.  
  
--  
  
"Agent Vaughn," Devlin said pointedly. "You're five minutes late."  
  
"I know. I'm sorry. Eric was.informing me of what I missed these last couple of months," Vaughn apologized.  
  
"Well, we just received intel about another Rambaldi artifact. We're certain SD-6 is going to send Sydney on this mission," Devlin started.  
  
They always do, Vaughn thought.  
  
"When Agent Bristow gets briefed about it from Sloane, I want you to come up with a counter mission and -"  
  
"Sir, I remember what to do," Vaughn said wryly.  
  
"Yes.of course.well, that was it. I just wanted to give you the heads- up."  
  
"Thank you," Vaughn replied.  
  
"That's all for now. And you can grab a report of what has happened in here while you were away," Devlin said.  
  
--  
  
ah.that SUCKED!! Maybe cuz I've written so many essays today.this whole writing thing isn't working.ahh. I promise. Next one will be better. (I hope) 


	19. Erin

[U] Chapter 19 [/U]  
  
"Hey, you were Mike's partner in Spain, right?" Weiss asked casually.  
  
"Yeah. I'm Erin Duval," she stuck out her hand.  
  
"Eric Weiss," Weiss replied, trying to sound formal.  
  
"Weiss.that sounds familiar.I think Mike said something about you."  
  
"Something good I hope."  
  
Erin grinned.  
  
"Well, he - Michael! Excuse me," she said, looking after Vaughn who had just stepped into his office.  
  
"Oh, sure," Weiss responded, flustered at the sudden distraction. He watched her make her way towards Vaughn's room, and sighed.  
  
--  
  
"Sydney," Dixon said in a commanding voice.  
  
Sydney turned around to face him, the wheels on her chair squeaked.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"I've been thinking.and something's just not right. Just tell me what's up. I think I have a right to know."  
  
Oh no, not this again, Sydney thought.  
  
"Sydney.Sloane is looking for a mole. We know that. I just want to make sure it isn't you," Dixon said, sensing Sydney's discomfort.  
  
"Dixon - "  
  
"I don't want to hear it. No excuses this time. Tell me what you're really doing and -"  
  
"Dixon! Not in here, please? Can we discuss this over dinner?" Sydney pleaded, raising her eyes to see if anyone overheard. Hell, there are those tiny microscopic microphones that are planted everywhere.crap.  
  
Dixon stared at her for a second, and nodded.  
  
"The Diner.seven o'clock," Sydney whispered, turning back to her computer. Working for this supposedly "black-ops" division of the CIA really sucked.  
  
--  
  
"Where are you going?" Weiss called, seeing Vaughn pass his office in a hurry.  
  
"I'm late for dinner," Vaughn replied.  
  
Weiss was out of his office in a second. "Since when did you have dinner on schedule?"  
  
"Since this afternoon. Erin ask-"  
  
"She asked you out, didn't she?" Weiss said dejectedly.  
  
"What? No.she said she wanted to discuss something over dinner. Don't know what though.  
  
"Good. Where are you two going?"  
  
"The Diner. On Jacksonville."  
  
"Well? What are you waiting for? Don't want to keep the woman waiting," Weiss grinned.  
  
-- 


	20. Dinner

[U] Chapter 20 [/U]  
  
Sydney sat at the table in the restaurant, at promptly seven o'clock. Dixon had called her and told her that he would be a little late. His daughter was sick, but he had said no when Sydney offered to make a rain- check. He claimed that the discussion with Sydney was important.  
  
What am I going to tell him? She thought grimly. I can't lie to him anymore, but I can't tell him the truth.  
  
Sydney dug out her cell phone and dialed the familiar numbers.  
  
--  
  
Vaughn groaned as he sat in traffic. Erin was going to be pissed.he thought. But she knows I'm a fairly punctual person.I hope. Maybe she's stuck in traffic too.  
  
The ringing of his cell phone startled him from his thoughts. Maybe it's Erin.already at the restaurant, waiting.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi. It's me."  
  
"Hi," Vaughn replied, surprised. No names in the conversation. No names."What's wrong?"  
  
"How do you know?" she sighed.  
  
"Well, you sound kinda -"  
  
"Yeah, well, it's.my partner."  
  
"What about him?"  
  
"He's been questioning.and he knows I'm lying. I can't lie anymore. Not just because I don't want to, but because I can't. I can't think of any more excuses, and he'll definitely see through them."  
  
"Can you put him off for a while?"  
  
"I can't.we have a dinner date - to discuss this."  
  
"Dinner date? When?"  
  
"Yes, a dinner date. He was about to talk about it in the office.so I suggested we talk over dinner. Uh.we're kinda on it now. Well, [I]I'm[/I] on it.he's coming late."  
  
"Oh, um.you have two options I guess. You probably know them. Tell him the truth, and risk getting found out by S.your boss, or make up another excuse," Vaughn offered.  
  
"I can't make up another excuse." she trailed off, just as Vaughn entered the restaurant parking lot.  
  
"Then I guess you're going to have to tell him," Vaughn began, stepping out of his car. There was Erin's new car. The one she rented just a few days ago. The black Nissan. Black, always black, he thought, looking back at this own black car.  
  
"But you know what could happen. He's not the kind of man to forget something. From what I know about him, he's the kind to act out on his feelings. So if he thinks you're lying." Vaughn said slowly.  
  
--  
  
"I know.I'm sorry, am I bothering you? Are you busy?" Sydney asked, finally realizing that this conversation was taking a while.  
  
"No. You're not bothering me. You never do. And no, I'm not busy. I'm just meeting someone for dinner too," Vaughn said.  
  
"OK. Good. So I'm not sure. I'm leaning towards telling him. I mean, I want to tell him, but what if S - our boss finds out?" Sydney replied, her forehead wrinkled in thought.  
  
"Well, we'll deal with things one step at a time," Vaughn replied, sounding a great deal louder than he did at the beginning of the conversation.  
  
"Are you sure? I don't want -"  
  
"No. Listen to me. Do what you think is right. Don't think of anything else. And if he doesn't believe you, tell him to call me."  
  
"Ahem," a cough hovered above her.  
  
"Dixon!" Sydney exclaimed, forgetting to cover the mouthpiece of the cell phone.  
  
"What? Why are you -"  
  
"I'm sorry. My dinner date's here, Fran. I'll call you back!" Sydney said, groaning. Why did I call him "Fran?" Another lie.  
  
"Sydney," Dixon greeted, sitting down across from her in the booth.  
  
"How's Lisa?"  
  
"She's going to be fine. Just the flu."  
  
"That's good," Sydney smiled.  
  
"Sydney, I know -"  
  
So much for small talk, Sydney sighed. "Dixon.the reason I suggested us to come out for dinner, is because I plan on telling you exactly what's happening."  
  
Dixon nodded.  
  
"Another reason why, was because we are not, and I repeat: [I]not[/I] allowed to speak of this at SD-6," Sydney said.  
  
"Why?" Dixon asked. "Just tell me from the beginning."  
  
"Don't you want to eat first?"  
  
"Not really, but if you're hungry," Dixon replied, turning to the menu.  
  
--  
  
"Mike! Where the hell were you?" Erin demanded, putting her glass of water down.  
  
"Erin, I'm only ten minutes late. What's the big deal? I hit some traffic," Vaughn replied, taking a seat in front of her.  
  
"The big deal is that when I set up a dinner date with someone, I expect them to be there on time! I sat here looking like I was stood up or something."  
  
"Well, you'll never look like that if you're waiting for me," Vaughn said. "We're not dating, so you being stood up by me, is out of the question."  
  
"Thanks for putting that like that," Erin said sarcastically.  
  
"Erin, what's up with you? You're acting so.strange. Sarcastic. Not like you."  
  
"How do you know? Maybe this is the real me."  
  
"I really hope it isn't."  
  
"Even Weiss was saying -"  
  
"Can you tell him to stay away from me? He's stalking me, and I don't like it."  
  
"Stalking you? Erin, he's only followed you to the coffee room. And maybe he's been behind you a bit, but he's always on his way back to his room. That's not stalking."  
  
"Whatever. Just tell him that OK? I don't like him."  
  
"Tell him that yourself," Vaughn retorted, not willing to break that news to his friend.  
  
"Is that what men these days do? They're all not willing to help a woman in need?"  
  
"You're not in need Erin. But since you said it, is this what women these days do? Try to con the man into doing their dirty work?" Vaughn replied angrily. These past few days had been stressful, and he just wasn't liking Erin's attitude. Where the hell did she get it from? Is this what happens when someone new to LA lives here for a week? Corruption? 


	21. Dinner p 2

*you know, if you're in NY for any reason, you have to go check out "Les Miserables" at the Imperial Theatre!! It's awesome. I love the music.listening to it right now. And it's the first Broadway show I've ever seen.but it's so good. =)  
  
[U]Chapter 21[/U]  
  
"Thank you," Dixon said to the waiter, handing him the menus. "All right. We ordered. Now -"  
  
"I'll tell you what you want to know. But you've got to believe me," Sydney replied, staring Dixon straight in the eye. "And not a word can be repeated."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Just promise me Dixon," Sydney said seriously.  
  
"OK," Dixon responded, bewildered.  
  
"Because if you repeat anything, we'll all be dead. That's what happened to Danny. I figured since I was going to marry him, he had the right to know what I did for a living. He had to know. I couldn't keep lying. So I told him, and I don't think he ever saw it coming. Hell, I was just a graduate student working at a bank. Then he left a message on my answering machine, saying that he didn't care about me being a spy. That spies stop being spies sometime in their life. Somehow, Sloane heard it, and when I returned, Danny was dead."  
  
Dixon had opened his mouth to say something consoling, but Sydney waved it away.  
  
"Then someone from security section attempted to kill me, obviously with Sloane's authorization. That was the night I found out that my father was working for SD-6 too. My father told me all about SD-6 and who they really are. The very people we thought we were fighting against, Dixon. It's true. SD-6 isn't some black ops division of the CIA. It's part of the Alliance of Twelve. Enemies of the United States. But I had to gain Sloane's trust again, so I went to Taipei and took the gadget he wanted. Then after I did that, I went to the real CIA.and now I'm a double."  
  
"SD-6 isn't part of the CIA? Sydney, that's a very convincing story, but it's not that believable," Dixon replied critically.  
  
--  
  
"I'm sorry," Erin said suddenly, sounding genuinely sorry.  
  
"For what?" Vaughn responded warily. If this woman could change her attitude like that, who knew what else she was capable of?  
  
"Acting like a bitch. It's just that - How's Sydney?" she asked suddenly.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because, it just seems like you would know."  
  
"What makes you think that?" Vaughn asked cautiously.  
  
"Because, you're like her puppet. You jump whenever she lifts her finger."  
  
"I do not "jump whenever she lifts her finger,"" Vaughn said sarcastically.  
  
"Yes you do. Don't you want to know how she is? She's sitting right there," Erin said furtively.  
  
"What?" Vaughn responded, glancing towards the direction Erin had pointed.  
  
Sure enough, there was Sydney.and Dixon. What a coincidence, Vaughn thought. A very.coincidental coincidence. I wonder how she's doing with convincing him.  
  
--  
  
"Dixon.what else do you want to know?"  
  
"Why did you go to Taipei the second time? Why did you go for a midnight swim?"  
  
"To save my friend. We had to exchange him for the Rambaldi page."  
  
"You stole from the SD-6 lab."  
  
"Took. Borrowed." Sydney corrected.  
  
Dixon stared at her. "Is there a difference? Fine, you [I]took[/I] from the lab. What was it?"  
  
"Well, do you believe me?" Sydney countered. "If you don't, there's no point in telling. It'll just be like feeding the enemy crucial information."  
  
"Oh, so now I'm the enemy?"  
  
"You could be.if you still believe you're working for the CIA."  
  
"Let's just say I do think you're telling the truth."  
  
"Do you, really, I mean?"  
  
"I'm not sure. But to be honest, reporting you to Security Section is still on my list of to do things," Dixon warned.  
  
"But -"  
  
"No buts, Syd. Either you give me some real proof.or -"  
  
"Fine," Sydney relented. She was desperate. This was not good.but Vaughn did say she could call him, if Dixon didn't believe her.  
  
"What are you doing?" Dixon asked, watching her pull out her tiny black cell phone.  
  
Sydney ignored him, and dialed the numbers she had memorized so long ago.  
  
"Sydn-"  
  
"Hello? It's me."  
  
"What's up?" Vaughn answered, his voice sounded a little far away, with all the chatter in the background.  
  
"He doesn't believe me."  
  
"All right. Do you two have time to meet me?"  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes I am. I can't risk him reporting you."  
  
"OK. We'll be there in half an hour," Sydney said.  
  
"Great. It'll probably take thirty minutes to get there, so I'm going to go now. Maybe I'll see you in the parking lot?" Vaughn joked, ending the conversation.  
  
--  
  
"Erin, I have to go now. Sydney needs me," Vaughn said, stuffing his cell phone back into his pocket.  
  
"I'm sure she does," Erin replied sarcastically.  
  
"What? Oh, no.Erin.Why don't you just.do you need a ride home?" Vaughn answered, catching himself before he told her to stuff it.  
  
"No. I drove myself. I do know how to drive, you know," Erin responded, standing up.  
  
"Thanks for the lovely dinner," she said with a hint of sarcasm.  
  
Vaughn said nothing. He just watched as he saw Sydney and Dixon walk out the door, after paying for the food. Sydney looked stressed, while Dixon had a perplexed look on his face, mixed with a look of distrust.  
  
He stood up, and turned to Erin. "I already paid for the food. Don't go home so early on account of me."  
  
Erin sighed.  
  
"Just go," she said, waving him away. 


	22. Tests

- ok. This sucks.I need to ease myself back into the writing mode.so yeah, this sucks.  
  
SPOILERS: Counteragent and so on  
  
[U] Chapter 22 [/U]  
  
Dixon looked around the warehouse suspiciously, while keeping one eye on Sydney, as if she might run any second.  
  
"Hey," an unfamiliar voice said, and a second later, a handsome man appeared in front of them. He was wearing a business suit, carrying a briefcase in hand.  
  
"Hi. Thanks for coming," Sydney replied, flashing the man a tiny smile of gratitude.  
  
"Dixon, this is -"  
  
"Michael Vaughn. Agent of the Central Intelligence Agency. Nice to meet you finally," Vaughn said formally, holding out his hand.  
  
Dixon looked at Vaughn's outstretched hand warily, but shook it.  
  
"Agent Bristow tells me that you -"  
  
"I don't believe her," Dixon said bluntly. "Why would SD-6 lie to all their employees?"  
  
"That's an easy question. Because who in their right mind would work against their government?" Vaughn replied rhetorically. He set his shiny black briefcase on the table, and unsnapped the clasps. Pulling out a thick manila folder, he handed it to Dixon.  
  
"What's this?"  
  
"Read it. It should answer any questions you have," Vaughn responded.  
  
Half an hour later, Dixon was finished reading. He closed the folder and slid it towards Vaughn.  
  
"We're not forcing you to join up, but it is very dangerous if you don't. You'll have to be put in the WPP."  
  
"Witness Protection Program," Dixon said softly. "Sydney, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you."  
  
"It's all right Dixon. I'm just glad you understand now," Sydney smiled encouragingly.  
  
"I had planned on going to Sloane about this after we had our conversation.if I still wasn't convinced. And now, I'm just glad I hadn't done anything. So.you're the mole, huh?"  
  
Sydney grinned.  
  
"All right. I want to know how I can join the CIA - the real one," Dixon said, looking at Vaughn.  
  
"Are you sure Dixon? It's a tough time-consuming job to be a double," Sydney replied. "You have a family to take care of."  
  
"I know. But I can't just go to work every day knowing I'm working for the wrong side," Dixon responded sensibly.  
  
"Well, basically, you're in. But we just need to get your statement. And we have to get it reviewed," Vaughn said, slipping the folder back into the briefcase.  
  
"It's that easy?"  
  
"Actually, the CIA has been keeping tabs on you. You know, just in case you told someone about Sydney - er, Agent Bristow. So that's why steps are being skipped. But getting in is the easy part. Lying through your teeth, or, at least, seeing Sloane and restraining yourself from killing him, is the hard part."  
  
"How many doubles are in SD-6?"  
  
"Three, including you," Sydney said.  
  
"Three? You, me, and?"  
  
"Oh, um, my father."  
  
"You're father? Are you sure you're all right? OK, that came out wrong. What I meant, was that you're father.he's a senior officer at SD- 6.how could he be a double?"  
  
"What can I say? We've got moles in high places," Sydney said lightly.  
  
--  
  
"Hey Mike?" Erin asked, holding a manila folder in her hand.  
  
Vaughn looked up from his computer. "What is it?"  
  
"Devlin just got intel about the circumference. He told me to give this to you," she replied, placing the folder on his desk. "He wants to see you after you read it."  
  
"Thanks Erin," Vaughn said, watching her leave his office. Once the door was closed behind her, he took the folder and opened it.  
  
He shuffled through the official documents, but stopped when he read one line. "There was found to be contaminants in the liquid. Symptoms do not appear until a significant amount of time has passed since exposure."  
  
--  
  
"Vaughn, come in. Sit," Devlin said warmly.  
  
He's being too nice, Vaughn thought warily.  
  
"You wanted to see me?"  
  
"Yes. I'm glad Miss Duval got a hold of you. I'm certain you've read that," Devlin motioned towards the folder that Vaughn clutched in his hand.  
  
Vaughn nodded slowly. "So, what are you planning on doing? Run some tests?"  
  
"Actually, yes. Both you and Miss Bristow need to be checked out. Just in case."  
  
"So what contaminant was found in the water?" Vaughn asked cautiously.  
  
"A radioactive substance that could potentially be harmful if exposed fully. I've set up an appointment for you and Miss Bristow tomorrow afternoon at two thirty. Be down at the lab by that time. Oh, and please inform Miss Bristow about it too."  
  
--  
  
"What?"  
  
Vaughn watched Sydney pace around the small area, her sneakers squeaking with each movement.  
  
"Devlin's set up an appointment for us tomorrow. We have to be at the CIA lab by two thirty."  
  
"Tomorrow! What about -"  
  
"He spoke with your father. Your father is to tell Sloane that you have a dentist appointment," Vaughn said.  
  
"But."  
  
"Don't worry Syd, nothing's going to happen. It's just a test. Just in case. They have to take the necessary precautions, and they are."  
  
"I hope you're right," Sydney replied, the worried look in her eyes faded a little. Secretly, she was worried for Vaughn. He had been in the water for god knows how long.  
  
--  
  
- I suck at this. 


End file.
